If you truly understand, learn, and discover why you make pictures — you will NEVER RUN OUT OF INSPIRATION!

New Book: ETERNAL RETURN TO CREATIVE EVERY DAY >

1. Why does ERIC KIM make pictures?

I cannot speak for you, but I’ll speak for myself.

Why does ERIC KIM make pictures?

My explanation:

I gain aesthetic joy, excitement, and elation of spirit and soul when composing visual elements in a frame— via photography.

For me, photography is a fun challenge. I have a fun challenge by trying to stick together different visual elements in a frame, like a child putting together different LEGO bricks together.

To me, meaning in a picture is created through the unique combination, or the configuration of visual elements in the frame.

For example, let’s say you have 10 kids with the same set of LEGO bricks (the same 100 bricks). Each of these ten children will create different things with their combination of LEGO’s.

Of course as photographers, we have a harder time — we are all given different visual LEGO bricks. For example, if you’re making photos in Brazil your photographic and visual building blocks will be very different from a person living in a Los Angeles suburb, or a city dweller in New York City.

But— like a good poker player, it ain’t about the cards that you’re dealt which shows your skill. No, the skill of the poker player is how he plays his hand.

Therefore, the skill of a photographer is how well he can play his hand in photography— how well can he put together his visual playing cards, in the best possible configuration— and present them in the best possible combination?

2. How can you be the best possible photographer in your present life situation?

Life ain’t fair.

Some of us are born into rich families, some of us are born into poor families.

But it makes no sense to complain about how we were born and put into this planet. The purpose of life is to make the best of what life has given you.

Some of us have advantage, and some of us handicaps. But realize— often it is the handicap or the difficulties which awakens our inner-genius and giant. For example, I doubt JAY Z would have become a successful hustler and entrepreneur if he was born into a wealthy black family — he only learned to hustle, work hard, and think big by growing up in a Do-or-die ghetto environment.

So realize: Your disadvantage in life can be your biggest advantage in life.

In other words,

How can you turn your disadvantages in life, and use it to your advantage?

3. How to turn any situation to your benefit

Let’s say you’re a poor photographer. How can you use your financial situation to your benefit? Can you end up being more innovative just shooting with a camera phone?

Or, if you are busy, and work as a business person, and live in the (boring) suburbs— can you use that to your benefit?

Perhaps your lack of free time can be a good thing. It forces you to NOT WASTE any of your precious free time— so when you actually go out to take pictures, you will be insanely focused and productive. Like they say, “If you want to get anything done quickly in the office, always give it to the busiest person.”

Or if you live in a boring suburb or city— you need to flex your visual muscles, and somehow innovate, and somehow make boring scenes interesting.

If you can make boring pictures look interesting, you are a genius (William Eggleston and Martin Parr).

4. Why do you make pictures?

Anyways my essay is getting off topic and random.

To refocus, try to really ask yourself WHY you make pictures.

Do you do it for fun? For challenge?

The more you know yourself, the more motivated you will to be to make more pictures, the less stress you will feel, and the more zen-photo calm, and elation you will feel.

HAVE FUN,
ERIC

New Book: ETERNAL RETURN TO CREATIVE EVERY DAY >